It has become well known to dispense insecticides for controlling fleas and ticks on animals by using a disposable collar in which the insecticide has been impregnated. As the collar is disposed of after its charge of insecticide is exhausted, the costs of manufacturing these collars should be minimized. Thus, the cost of a closure for these collars must be minimized as this is a large portion of the cost. However, the closure should be simple, since the collar frequently will be applied when the animal is active and moving. Concomitantly, the collar should resist attempts by the animal to dislodge it during use. However, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,492 to Jones, it is also desirable to permit the collar to break away when subjected to excessive force, to prevent injury if the collar gets hooked by fences or other objects.
Buckles are commonly used on animal collars to secure the collars around the neck of an animal. However, buckles are expensive to manufacture and require time consuming and costly assembly steps. Furthermore, buckles are cumbersome to fasten on an animal and are not transferable from one band to another.
Various types of band closures for differing purposes are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,192,584 to Pape discloses a strap coupler particularly suited for securing together overlapping ends of a strap used for banding boxes, bales, and other packages. However, the coupler is not hinged, and is time consuming to apply and remove.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,107,935 to Erke discloses a seal device used to grip the overlapped edges of plastic tape. However, the seal is not releasable, making it unsuitable for use as a flea collar which must be removed when its insecticidal agent has been exhausted.
Phillips, U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,604, discloses an identification band clip for use in attaching I.D. bracelets to patients in hospitals. A Z-shaped retaining plate having barbs prevents slippage of the strap material within the clip but physically damages the bracelet material.
None of these patents discloses a band with a closure system suitable for use as animal collars. None of the known bands and closure systems includes a unitary clasp which secures the ends of the band together without deforming the band while permitting the band to break away when subjected to excessive, predetermined forces.